


"M'lady."

by Ecinue



Series: to war and back and repeat [2]
Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Badass Nihachu, Dream is just MIA bruh, Eret's just worried, George might be going insane ngl, George misses Dream, MCYT fandom rlly be lacking tags, Mentioned Clay | Dream, Mentioned Jschlatt, Mentioned Technoblade, Mentioned Toby Smith | Tubbo, Mentioned Tommyinnit, Mentioned Wilbur Soot, Nihachu-centric, Niki is sad, Niki-centric, Prisoner of War, Sad GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Unedited and unbetaed we die like revolutionaries, War, is it really happy if they're still in war?, quackity gets vibe checked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:28:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26778127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ecinue/pseuds/Ecinue
Summary: Niki's like the sun, bright and warm, and always there for those that need her. She's always there for her family and she's fiercely loyal and protective towards them. Even if she doesn't approve, she's always there to voice her opinions and there for anyone to talk to.They took her and locked her in a cage of darkness and left her to rot. They stamped out her joy and robbed her of those she held dearest. She is not happy. If no one will take action, she will do it herself. She's a friend first and a member of L'manberg second.(it seems that Schlatt has severely underestimated her. A mistake, on his part, a mistake that he will regret for a long time to come.)
Relationships: Don't Ship Real Life People, No Romantic Relationship(s), platonic only, shippers dni - Relationship
Series: to war and back and repeat [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1952326
Comments: 16
Kudos: 449





	"M'lady."

**Author's Note:**

> Unedited and unbetaed as of 10/2/2020.
> 
> Disclaimer: This is an overdramatized version of the Dream SMP events and is not meant to be taken seriously. Everything in the SMP is based on bits for their viewers so don't send the creators any hate for their decisions (Eret's betrayal, Schlatt's choices, etc.). All the people mentioned here are real people and are NOT to be shipped; please have human decency and don't ship them. If any of them are uncomfortable with this fic, I will be more than happy to take this down.

Niki is hidden away in the darkness of a prison cell deep beneath the ground. It’s cold and disgusting, the grime and stench latching onto her like leeches. Her hair is greasy and her uniform is stained with dirt, eyebags sinking in under her eyes as she glares at the cell’s door.

She gets visitors almost daily but she has no way of telling time in this cage. Her visitors vary, some coming more often than others. She supposes that she is set as an _example_ , an example of what will happen to those that disobey the emperor. What a load of horse crap.

More often than not, she finds herself tucked in a corner, drifting away into her mind, waiting for the day that an opportunity arises for her to break out, to break free, and reunite with her family. She hates this stupid cage, a cage that weighs her down and drags her in the mud.

She despises it, almost as much as she despises the goat-man that threw her down here.

* * *

Many of them were too scared to visit her or they were simply just foreign people to her. Ponk never came; she doesn’t know them very well. Eret and Tubbo are forbidden from visiting her since Schlatt considers him a threat. Quackity comes the most, usually to brag about Schlatt or rant about how Manberg was going to excel. George came by often to bring food and lead her to the showers once per week, offering new clothes awkwardly to which she vehemently refused.

( _She takes note but doesn’t mention how every time Quackity comes to speak about Schlatt, his eyes dim a little and his stance falters. There’s a new bruise on his arm once and she doesn’t say anything until he turns to leave. “Put ice on it,” She had whispered. If he heard, he didn’t mention it as he left in silence._

 _She takes note but doesn’t mention how every time George comes to provide food or clothes, he’s always lost in thought. Sometimes, she sees him slump for a moment, the faint whisper of a name on his lips, memories of a man in a green hoodie and a mask of a smiling face covering his face. She doesn’t say anything to him because they both know that she cannot help with this problem._ )

Fundy’s visits are the most meaningful. She remembers all of his visits with startling clarity.

* * *

Fundy only visited her a total of three times.

The first time had been the roughest. It was shortly after Schlatt’s rising, shortly after Fundy burning the flag, shortly after she had been imprisoned. It had been a terrible meeting.

“Niki, please let me explain,” The fox hybrid begged, his paws digging into his new suit.

“Explain what, Fundy?!” She screamed, tears dripping down her cheeks. “The fact that you didn’t even defend Wilbur or Tommy?! The fact that you burned my flag and tore down the walls of our home?! The fact that you’re just a mindless puppet for Schlatt?! What is there to explain, Fundy?!”

He winces ( _good, she thinks, feel the pain_ ) as his ears flatten against his head. “It’s for the greater good, Niki. Let me explain my plan-”

“Get out.”

Her voice was cold and she was trembling ( _with rage or with sorrow, she doesn’t quite know_ ). Fundy looks up to meet her eyes and flinches backward, fear revealing itself in his expression as her eyes flash gold from their normal silver-blue color.

“Get. Out.” She snarls and that sends the fox scampering down the hallway, hightailing out of the dungeon. The moment he’s out of sight, she crumples to the ground and sobs.

The second time had been less aggressive.

“Will you let me explain this time instead of chasing me away?” Fundy asked quietly. “Schlatt won’t be nice on you the next time you lash out.”

“Great,” She responds in an emotionless tone, “I hope he kills me so that I don’t have to see his bastard face.”

Fundy frowned, scrunching his snout slightly. “Niki.”

She sighs, running a hand down her face. “I’m not in the mood to deal with you, Fundy. What do you want from me?”

“You never let me explain myself, Niki. You judged my actions without knowing my reasons.”

“Go on. State your reasons then.”

Fundy gulped. She was cold towards him, much unlike her former outgoing self. She regarded him with caution and wariness, seemingly ready to rip his spine out through his tail if she had to. “I’m only pretending to be on Schlatt’s side. I’ll bring him down from the inside. I’m only doing this to appease him right now, but soon-”

“It won’t work.”

Her response came quick and sharp. “You can try, Fundy, but right now, you’re not in anyone’s favorable list. You betrayed our nation, _our family_ , and you mindlessly do these things for the enemy who doesn’t even care about you. You threw away everything for this plan, a plan that won’t work because you’ll break before it happens.”

“Don’t you understand, Niki?! This is all for our family!”

“No, Fundy, this is what you don’t understand.” She stands and stalks over to the iron bars, reaching through and grabbing onto the collar of his suit, dragging him so that they’re face to face. “You’re doing this for you. You’re doing this for _yourself_.”

She lets go of him and suddenly, Fundy thinks that she looks very defeated for a woman that’s ever-so strong. She looks very tired for someone so feisty and passionate. She looks very sad like someone who had everything taken from her.

He couldn’t bear it. He couldn’t bear it at all, so he turned and left.

The third and last visit was shortly before she escaped.

He had arrived at her cell with a dark expression, one that insinuated that he was going to do something he would most likely regret. If they were back on L’manberg, she would’ve told him to forget revenge (unless one of his pets died). She would’ve told him to come with her and get some food from her bakery. She would’ve told him to relax and just admire nature.

~~She can’t remember what it's like to be able to relax.~~

“You know,” He started, “You were right. My plan wasn’t going to work.”

She stays silent.

“But you were also wrong. You said Schlatt was a villain who didn’t care about me. That’s not true at all!” Fundy smiled an unnatural smile that showed too many teeth. “He’s been very kind, more kind to me than any of you ever had been. He recognizes me for who I am and doesn’t baby me as my _father_ did.”

She stays silent.

“You can’t really blame me for wanting to stand out, now can you, Niki?”

“I wish things were different,” She whispers, the words making Fundy go very still. “I wish Wilbur would’ve noticed you more. I wish that Eret hadn’t betrayed us and left you in the dust. I wish that the election didn’t take place and you’re free from Schlatt’s control. There’s a lot of things I wish for, Fundy.”

Fundy scowls and turns. “Wishing does not change things, Niki.”

He walks away and she sighs, wilting as she whispers.

“I wish you knew much I cared, how much I love you.”

She doesn’t catch his ears pricking up and he doesn’t catch the tears that she sheds.

* * *

It was by pure coincidence that she escaped, really. It was mainly luck and good fortune.

It had been Quackity’s turn to bring her food. George had been out doing something and Quackity was told to bring food to Niki. He had come in as per usual with his loud voice and the usual topic of Schlatt. He had been alone, disarmed, and amourless. It amused and enraged her that they thought she was so weak to the point of being unable to take on a simple man like Quackity.

He had entered her cell ( _stupid move, really, the poor fool_ ) without a single piece of armor or weapon in sight. He didn’t even have a shield and he just kept blabbering on, not even remembering that Niki was unchained. She had watched him warily as he set the food down, watched as he turned away for a split second, and then she _moved_.

She launched her entire body forwards, slamming her fist underneath his jaw and digging her elbow into his stomach. Quality gasped in pain, doubling over and allowing her to bring the side of her hand down on the back of his neck, causing him to promptly pass out. She panted in exhilaration, adrenaline pumping through her veins, silently thanking to every deity she could think of for her combat lessons with Tommy.

Dragging his body to the side, she whispered a quiet apology as she took off his sweatshirt, tying it around his arms and then tying it to the cell bars. She took a piece of bread off the food tray and exited the cell, closing it and locking it with the key she stole. Then, she sprinted down the hallway.

This was her only chance of getting out.

She didn’t know how to navigate but as she turned the corner, she saw a staircase. Biting her lip, she made her way over to the staircase, listening for noises. There was silence and she sighed in relief, leaping up the stairs two at a time. At the top, there was only George who watched her with caution. For a moment, it was just two people, exhausted from war and conflict. Two people who wanted to see their family be happy again. The difference was that Niki was fighting for everything to be right; George was slowly giving up.

“Just go.” He muttered, reaching up to rub his eyes from under his white glasses. “Schlatt’s out with Tubbo right now. Just go and I’ll let him know that I was patrolling.”

Niki blinks at him for a moment before cracking a grim smile. “Thanks. I’ll try to fix everything and make _him_ come back too.”

George nods and Niki thinks that she can see a glimpse of hope in his eyes before it flashes away. They nod at each other once more before Niki’s sprinting past George and down the corridors, rushing out of the main doors. There’s no one in the streets of Manberg and she can see that it’s the midst of the night. She runs and doesn’t stop until she’s at the Eastern gateway of Eret’s castle.

Hbomb’s the one who sees her and his eyes widen comically as he rushes down the latter from the watchpoint, opening the gate to let her in and then enveloping her in a hug.

“Eret was going to storm the jail for you,” He murmurs. “Come on, he’s been so stressed.”

They lock the gate behind them and he brings her to the main throne room. Eret’s sprawled out on the throne, looking much more tired in comparison to the last time she’s seen him. He looks up and lights up, flying forwards to hug her.

“I was going to go get you,” He says, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” She reassures.

“How’d you get out?” Eret asks hoarsely.

She grins, holding up the piece of stolen bread to which she takes a bite. “They sent Quackity down with food and no armor or weapons. He entered my cell and I knocked him out.”

Hbomb and Eret both smile with pride and elation. Niki laughs, bright and happy. For now, she’s safe.

* * *

It’s barely a day later when Schlatt finds out. It’s barely a day later when there’s a rage-filled screech coming from his office. It’s barely a day later when wanted posters are placed up beside Wilbur’s, Tommy’s, and Techno’s, with Niki’s smiling face plastered over it. It’s barely a day later when Niki wakes up from the first restful sleep she’s had in a long time, donning on her L’manberg uniform that was freshly washed. It’s barely a day later when she gets some string and wool and mends her torn uniform.

It’s a little over a day later when she picks up a diamond sword and leaves the walls of the castle with Eret to gather resources. It’s a little over a day later when they come face-to-face with a zombie. It’s a little over a day later when Eret breaks his arm from protecting her against the zombie. It’s a little over a day later when she blinks and finds herself decapitating the zombie with her sword. It’s a little over a day later that Eret realizes that hurting Niki’s family had awoken a god within her.

( _It’s a little over a day later when Eret finally understands why you don’t hurt the kindest people. It’s then when he understands that to hurt her family, they had pushed her past her kindness. It was then he understands that she had no more mercy for her enemies._ )

It’s a day and a half later that Eret opens the door to his throne room for Niki, a small smile playing on his lips. It’s a day and a half later that Eret gifts her a navy blue cape. It’s a day and a half later where Niki spins around, admiring it. It’s a day and a half later that Hbomb comes in and watches them, laughing every so often.

It’s a day and a half later, when they’re having fun, that Eret and Hbomb jokingly bow to Niki who adorns her cape and uniform, diamond sword at her side.

  
  


“M’lady.”

**Author's Note:**

> I was originally going to do my homework which is still overdue but then I speedran this fic so...yeah, here you Ao3. 
> 
> Niki's one of my favorite characters in the Dream SMP franchise because of the sheer potential she has. She's the embodiment of the character that is super kind and always there for people but when you hurt the people she loves, oh boi you better run. I really like Eret, Niki, and Hbomb's friendship and I headcanon that all three of them live in Eret's castle together. It's very lonely when it's just Eret and Hbomb (because it can get awkward sometimes) but Niki just brightens their lives. Probably going to write a fic for another AU and then come back to this one. So many ideas, no time...
> 
> Quackity this chapter: *chuckles when I make him turn around* Im in severe danger
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this! Kudos, comments, bookmarks, anything is appreciated greatly! Thank you for reading my fic!  
> Feel free to come yell at me on twitter!  
> https://twitter.com/ecinue_unicorn


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